HOVER-FLIES IN ESSEX
95
C. grossa Fln.
VC 18, 19. A distinctively furry brown fly of early spring. Colchester,
17 April 1910 (Harwood, in HD): there are also several undated Harwood
specimens from Colchester in BM and PE; St. Osyth creek, 4 May 1908
(W. H. Harwood, in HD); Maldon, a male hovering near the river 31
March 1972; Fingringhoe Wick Reserve, a male hovering over an open
gravelly area 3 April 1972; Danbury Common, a female at Sallow flowers,
24 March 1973.
C. albipila Mg.
VC 18, 19. Another early season species, which may have been over-
looked in recent years. Colchester, 1893 etc. (Harwood, a long series in
HD, and several examples also in BM and PE, one of the latter named
flavicornis); Epping Forest, 7 April 1896 (F. B. Jennings, in BM).
C. fraterna Mg.
VC 18, 19. Colchester (W. H. Harwood, in PE); Epping Forest, 19 May
1940 (LP); Epping Forest, High Beach, 28 May 1950 (C. O. Hammond);
Fingringhoe Wick Reserve, a male on Ranunculus repens flower 30 May
1970.
C. bergenstammi Becker
VC 18, 19. Colchester (Harwood, det. G. H. Verrall, in HD); Benfleet
Downs, on flowers of Senecio erucifolius 23 August 1970.
C. praecox Zett.
VC 19. Fingringhoe Wick Reserve, a female on Bellis perennis flowers
17 May 1970 (Payne, 1973).
C. albitarsis Mg. 8 May-21 June
VC 18, 19. Probably the commonest Cheilosia in our county. Formerly
known as flavimana. I have usually taken it on flowers of the buttercups
Ranunculus bulbosus and R. repens, but also on those of Anthriscus
sylvestris and Allium ursinum.
C. mutabilis Fln.
VC 19. I discovered a colony of this very small Cheilosia on Tiptree
Heath on 14 July 1972 (Payne, 1973). The flies were sunning themselves
on low herbage, and were feeding on flowers of Heracleum sphondylium.
C. cynocephala Loew
VC 19. An uncommon species distinguished by its strikingly purple
thorax. I took a male on Heracleum sphondylium flowers at Fingringhoe
Wick Reserve on 7 August 1971 (Payne, 1973).
C. carbonaria Egger
VC 19. Colchester, 1910 (Harwood, in HD).